


My Atlantean Prince

by Yuki_Onna1



Category: genderbend Esmeralda and genderbend Kida
Genre: Genderbend crossover, M/M, Slave and royalty, Smut, gay relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-20 05:37:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9477983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuki_Onna1/pseuds/Yuki_Onna1
Summary: (Warning for smut later in the story. I like to build it up)For a person sold at eight years old from an abusive home to an abusive slave owner, you wouldn't think that Esmeraldo's life could get anymore insane. you would be sorely mistaken. After convincing the crown prince Kidan to buy his choice of the litter he's then recruited to help the prince train the pup personally. Not only that but he starts to feel things he has never felt before. what will this new experience lead to? Read on to find out.(Note: I will try to be consistent in chapter uploads. I'm in college so have some mercy on me.)





	1. From breeder slave to Prince's slave

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction so please go easy on me. Not quite used to this. Finished this at like 4:05 in the morning. Brain is not quite there.

I never thought it possible to have these feelings before, but it seems that miracles do happen to the unwanted children of the world. His hair is Silver, eyes bright blue, and has some intricate tribal tattoos on his face. It took me a couple weeks to find out his name is Kidan of the country Atlantia, a regal and wealthy place full of culture and secrets. I on the other hand was from a poor country of gypsies; I was even sold into slavery as a child and grew up raising Atlantean Lava Dogs. I had never grown up knowing love from neither my parents who had always been fighting and from my slave owner. It was funny how my owner worked for the King Kashekim Nedakh of Atlantia. I would always be stuck underground in the heat, feeding and cleaning after the dogs and their pups. I had to always make sure that they were healthy and strong. If I ever got distracted I would be hit with a thin but painful cane. The feeling would sting like a heated razor. It wasn’t until I was eighteen that I had actually gotten to see the crown prince himself. When my owner had heard that the prince was coming to pick out his own Lava Dog for his eighteenth birthday. I was forced to wake up early that morning and make sure I was clean. I was even given clean and untorn clothes to work in, although I knew this was to make the owner look like he wasn’t a monster to his slaves. When he came in, you could feel the power coming from his presence. He was donned in the usual Atlantean Garb. It consisted of a gold armband, a bright blue sarong and under piece, and of course the signature blue crystal that all Atlantean citizens wore. He and all other Atlanteans also wore bright blue tattoos on their bodies and faces that resemble stars, teardrops and moving water. I, on the other hand, had only thin blue shirt and thin blue pants and under piece. Our clothes had to be thin or else we’d get heatstroke very fast. I had to keep my wavy hair cut short and tied back in order to not have it catch on fire. I believe I have green eyes, but with living in darkness only lit by fire, it was hard to be sure anymore. My owner told me and the others to avert our gaze or get a thrashing later. I didn’t care, my back had been riddled with old and new scars. We all stood in line as our owner greeted Prince Kidan, his face molded into a smiling grin of cowardess. Our owner, despite being paid by the royal family, secretly disliked the royals, mostly the crown prince. He though could never be honest to anyone other than himself, we only knew because every now and then he lets some words of objection and complaint slip out. It didn’t take long for the man to show the prince our best pups. Despite our owner trying hard to persuade him to buy the one that is the most expensive, Prince Kidan was hesitant. After a few minutes of pondering, he turned his head and looked over at the other slaves and I. lifting his finger he gestured for me to come forward. I did as he said.  
“What is your name slave?”  
“Esmeraldo, sir.” I kept my gaze down. It was generally rude for a slave to look a noble or royal in the eyes. It meant you thought you were at the same level as them.  
“Esmeraldo huh?” He gestured me to look at the pups that I had helped raise. “Which pup would you think would be the most suited for me?”  
My eyes grew in surprise; usually a noble or royal would never bother to ask for a slave’s opinion. I slowly walked over to the pen and went in. I walked over to a smallest of the litter, picked her up and carried her over to the prince. I could hear my owner snicker as I set the pup down in front of the prince. The seconds that passed felt like hours, I knew if I flubbed I would be mocked and possibly hit for embarrassing the owner in front of the prince. But instead of that, I instead felt his hand cup my chin and force me to look up into his eyes. I could feel the stares in the room as it was quite rare for a noble or royal to have a slave look them in the eyes. After what felt like thirty minutes of an intense stare from his bright blue eyes into mine, he released my chin. In a sudden twist he spoke, “I’ll take this pup.” We all stood in shock. A usual person would never take the advice of a slave, but this guy changed that in a second. What happened next really left everyone in a state of surprise. “I would also like to buy this slave from you and have him as my personal trainer for this Lava pup.” It took us a second to realize that I was being bought by the prince himself to train the pup. My owner was resistant at first, but as soon as money came into play, he basically gave in right away. Within a matter of moments I was no longer owned by a Lava Dog breeder, but by the Crown prince himself. I had a feeling things were going to take a serious turn for the insane. Never knew I had guessed right.  
I was relocated into a new place rather quickly. It wasn’t like I had much stuff, just a bit of clothes and a purple kerchief that my grandmother had given me before she passed away when I was a toddler. It was rather big but I had always managed to keep it clean and in good condition. My grandmother was the only one to show any care to me. After she died, I had no one who would really care about me. It took us a short while to go from the raising pens to the center of the palace. The sun hurt my eyes terribly. I had spent ten years underground with very few chances to even see a glimmer of sunlight. I had to stand and wait for my eyes to adjust which felt like forever. The palace grounds were immense but beautiful. There was a gorgeous river running through the garden for irrigation, fire lilies, peach trees, Berganian blue roses, and one type of flower only grown from my homeland. We called it the dream bell, it was said that eating the purple petals could give you good dreams and a delightful night’s sleep. It had been forever since I had last seen one in bloom, to think I was so close to a patch of them. It made my heart ache thinking about how much I had missed my siblings back home.  
My quarters were small but better than my last, I had fresh air, access to a water source that didn’t take a long distance to go to and a more comfortable mattress than the blanket covered straw I used to sleep on. I was instructed to be up at eight in the morning for breakfast and nine to help Prince Kidan with training the pup. I was also given a list of places I was allowed to go into and a list of those I absolutely could not go into. Dinner was to be at seven and delivered to my room. The Lava pup was in the room next to me as it is my job to make sure she stays in excellent condition. After the soldiers left I layed on my bed and stared at the ceiling. It so white it was hard to tell if it was close or far away, there was even a small glare it gave off. I could hear people walking around, the sound of the river nearby, and the whistle of the Atlantean blue crested Tsutsu. At some point, I don’t even recall, I had fallen asleep. When I woke up the castle bell had rung fifteen times, meaning I had slept for three hours. I had felt more refreshed and calm. I decided to walk around the garden. I looked in the mirror at my old and worn clothes, only to look over at the small set of drawers and see a new set of clothes. I didn’t hesitate to go take a quick wash and put on these new clothes. It seemed that the prince knew of my Gypsy heritage since the clothes consisted of a white, two buttoned, long sleeve puff shirt, long, purple, loose pants with a sea green and gold belt and a purple sarong with gold circular decorations along the edge. The clothes fit perfectly and felt comfortable. I took out my grandmothers purple kerchief and decided to tie it around my arm for good luck. I was about to turn and leave when something golden reflected in my peripheral vision. A golden hoop earring. Surprised I picked it up, in small letters it had engraved “Prince Kidan’s Lava Dog trainer.” I was a little surprised but I figured that this was my ID. Weird but I didn’t decide to argue. I placed it on and moved my head; it wasn’t big but definitely stood out a bit.  
The garden was expansive and spread all the way to a cliffs edge at the end of the palace grounds. The breeze was cold but the smell of sea was revitalizing. I felt as though I could fly with such a comforting feeling. I had just been standing there at the cliffs edge for only a couple minutes before I felt a hand grab my wrist and pull me back. The sudden yank forced me to lose my balance and fall on top of whoever pulled me. I pushed myself up only to see it was Prince Kidan. I could only stare in shock. Only a few seconds later were we staring right at each other. Sensing the rising uncomfortability, I got off of him and stood up, only took him a few seconds to stand up too. As I brushed myself off, I grabbed both my shoulders forcibly and stared at me with a look of concern.  
“What in the seven seas are you thinking, suicide is insane, you can’t do it!” I could only stare at him in disbelief. In no way was I even thinking about jumping off the cliff and dying. His eyes soon started to turn from concern to downright scared. His grip tightened and his face showed he was trying hard not to cry. This was something totally different than his usual calm and reserved demeanor. The only thing I could do in this confusing moment was look away and apologize. He gradually let go of my arms and out of no where, slapped his own face. The action took me by surprise. I had never known for someone to slap their own hands against their cheeks before. After that strange moment he seemed to calm down and asked to see his new pup. Not caring for any more surprises, I took him to the room the lava pup was being kept. I kept my head down as I walked back through the garden and through the courtyard to my small room. It was roughly a five to seven minutes’ walk but it felt like forever with all the stares and whispers people around us were giving. Was it so weird for a slave to guide his owner to his new pup? Honestly. The prince didn’t seem to care; he walked just right behind me, ignoring everything. When we got to the room where his new pet was staying, he seemed to relax, as if the walk through the garden and courtyard was overly stressful. I figured to just not mention anything. The lava pup seemed excited at our arrival and ran towards us. Without any warning she leapt right up at the prince and knocked him down, licking his face happily. Unable to contain his emotion, prince Kidan started laughing. He seemed to let his emotions fly free when he was free from the gazes and stares of the royal court. He pushed her off and stood up, immediately then brushing the dust off himself. “I think I’ll name her Ujasiri.” She seemed excited by the new name and decided to run in circles to show her approval. It was nothing new to me but the prince seemed to enjoy it. He decided to kneel down and pet his new pet who seemed to grow even more excited. He welcomed me to kneel next to him, not wanting to offend him or anything, I kneeled down. He looked happily at his new pet and even fed her a rock. Lava dogs eat rocks and clay as they don’t grow up eating anything else. I took a second to just look at him, his hair was tied into a ponytail on one side of his head, hair cut in a mess of a style. His eyelashes were long and silver. It was bright against his tanned skin. It was weird, why in the world am I even observing the length of his lashes. I looked away and decided to ignore it.  
After a short while, his advisor found him and forced him back to his studies. I didn’t really care but it felt a little lonelier without him there. The time seemed to pass by fast. Wasn’t long before it was time to feed Ujasiri and then for me to eat as well. I didn’t care much to explore anymore and decided to fiddle with the training items for Ujasiri. A collar and chain leash, a bag for treats, grooming tools, even medicine for if she got sick. They apparently wanted to be stocked. There were more items but I didn’t care to fiddle with them. After checking out the training tools I felt tired. It was an exhausting day. Going from underground and owned by a cruel lava dog breeder to becoming the princes own trainer. What in the world is going to happen next? Boy was I going to receive an answer to that dumb question real quick.


	2. Why me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems that Prince Kidan is having fun embarrassing Esmeraldo, but just what is he to the Prince of two sides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this as I enjoy not only teasing my readers but also also for making the plot get more interesting. Hope you all enjoy ;)
> 
> P.S. Word to the wise, always have an extra as a back-up, so lucky I did, nearly lost half of this chapter which would have caused a horrible panic attack.

When morning came it felt as if I had been asleep for only a few hours. I attributed it to actually having a bed and not sleeping on worn down straw covered with an old blanket. It was still early and only a few servants were out doing early morning cleaning. I figured it would be a good time to go and do a quick run. I finally had more space to actually run at full speed. I put on a second pair of clothes and tied back my hair. The air outside was fresh and cool. It had felt so much better and invigorating. I could feel the sunrise against my back as I started my run. It felt great to stretch out my muscles and let all my pent up energy out. I figured to run through the garden paths. The smell of flowers was nice and combined with the ocean breeze, it was bliss.   
After running for roughly and hour and a half, and thoroughly draining all energy out of my legs and lungs, I decided to rest by a stream. I stuck my head in the cold, clear water and proceeded to swallow a few gulps of life giving water. The water was different than from my birthplace; it was cleaner and tasted a little sweeter, most likely due to the sugar herbs upstream. I tried to get up, but my legs were feeling the effects of my vigorous running. I figured I’d role up my pants and let my legs soak in the icy water. The moment I did, my back slammed against the ground. It felt so good. I heard the bell ring seven times; I decided to let my legs rest for a short while. The sounds of the birds were getting more and more lively as they too began to wake up. As I began to relax, I thought of my home, especially my sisters. I recalled an old song we sang about the nightingale and its midnight song. Without even realizing it I had begun to sing. It felt good to have those memories of my siblings, the few times my father wasn’t around to be angry at us for being loud. Without warning I had heard a twig snap, I stopped abruptly, startled that someone might have heard me. I sat up only to see it was Prince Kidan without his guards. We stared at each other like a pair of deer for a few seconds before I ducked back down again. I gripped my head, face burning red, holy mother of earth, the prince just heard me sing an old child’s song. I could hear him getting closer. It was embarrassing; no one other than my sisters and my grandmother had ever heard me sing. For someone else to, and nonetheless the prince, god dammit. I looked up only to see the prince kneeling over me with a curious smile on his face. I could feel my face turn even redder.   
“To think someone so serious could make such an adorable face, how refreshing.” He chuckled at my red face, making me feel even more embarrassed   
I tried to get up and walk away before I could turn into a pomegranate, only to be shoved back down by Prince Kidan. “Where are you going?” Red faced and embarrassed I could only reply, “Back to take care of Ujasiri, your majesty.” A few seconds later he let me up and after brushing myself off I started to walk back with him following close behind me. Even though just a minute ago he was playful and childish, he now reverted back to being a serious-faced Prince. I brushed it off as him having to be serious in front of nobles, but there had to be more to it. Within about fifteen minutes we had reached the place where I and Ujasiri were staying. When we walked in she wasn’t even awake but that was changed the moment she smelled us. Lava Dogs have a heightened sense of smell and can smell a single scent for up to five miles away, making them great tracking animals whether for hunting animals or hunting down criminals.   
When seeing the prince walk in she immediately ran up to him and jumped on his legs, begging to be picked up. He had wasted no time doing so prompting her to snuggle in and lick his cheeks. He started to laugh at the feeling of being kissed by his pet. It was a pretty funny sight, a lot nicer than seeing his serious face. I though, had been scooping out hot coals from the heater box and put them in her feeding pit. It was necessary for lava dogs to eat hot coals in the morning to give them their full energy.   
Smelling the hot coals, she jumped down and proceeded to eat with eagerness. Whilst she ate, I went to go wipe off the sweat with a cold rag and get changed. When I had left to go into my quarters, the prince was squatting and watching Ujasiri eat. I had first stripped off my pants and started to wipe myself clean. When I was finished I had put on my clean pair, it seemed the servants had prepared a bunch other pairs of pants and shirts. Last thing to do was clean off my torso. I had barely started to wipe down my pectorals when out of nowhere I felt someone’s fingers gently slide up my back and touch my hair. The sudden sensation of cold fingers sent a small chill down my spine causing me to jump away. Turning around it was Prince Kidan chuckling at my shock. The embarrassment had caused my face to turn bright red.   
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help it. You were just so unaware and I felt like having some fun.” He was nearly bent over in laughter at this point; I on the other hand was still burning red.   
“Can you please not do that, funny or not it really freaked me out.” As I finished he had stopped laughing and had begun to walk towards me. Feeling nervous I walked backwards until I bumped into the corner of the room. I was basically trapped as he walked right up to me. He was slightly taller than me, probably by five or so inches, making me have to look up at him. His face had become serious but the smile on it became sly like a foxes. He had put one hand against the wall, blocking me from trying to escape while he used his other hand to cup my chin, lifting my face towards his. I had closed my eyes, anxious of what he was about to do. A few seconds passed and I had shyly opened them only to see his face only a few inches from mine, his bright blue eyes looking deep into mine. My face got even redder as I felt him slowly slide his fingers down my neck. He moved his face closer, I was so nervous I couldn’t even make a sound. All I could do is clench my hands and brace myself for something to happen. But nothing happened; I looked at him again only to see him trying to stifle back a laugh. My face turned as red as a cherry in sheer embarrassment at being messed with. He on the other hand broke out into a riot of laughter, holding his hand to his head. As he moved back I quickly moved to get away from him. Not only was I to help train his lava dog but he was going to use me as a toy, it was aggravating.   
I grabbed my shirt and put it on as I left the room to put together the tools I was going to use for that day. The prince came into the room and walked over to the door to leave. Before he could, he turned around, looked at me, and made a flirtatious wink. I could feel my cheeks burn as I quickly looked away from him. He chuckled as he left. I know this guy is the crown prince but still why does he pick on me. I’ve only been here two days and I’ve already turned red like five times.   
After I had my breakfast I went out into the courtyard and made up a small transportable pen for training. At promptly nine o’clock the prince showed up for the training. Seeing him again after what happened this morning made my ears burn a little. I was glad my hair covered them; I didn’t want him to feel the satisfaction of seeing me burn red again.   
I handed him the small rod I had in my hands, “For the next few days we’ll be using this to teach Ujasiri some commands. Hand up with the palm out means stop, palm up with the back of the hand showing means come. If she comes to you when you want her to stop then poke her nose softly with the rod, if she stops when you want her to come then tap it against your leg. With that, why don’t you give it a try.” I stepped away and let him into the pen. His guards and advisor stayed behind with vigilant eyes. If I let anything bad happen to him, I would most likely lose my head.

Everything seemed to go well, other than a few mistakes; the training really had no hitches. It seemed that Ujasiri and Prince Kidan had a good connection. She seemed to understand him every time he gave her a command. It had seemed the training had ended early until out of nowhere Ujasiri started to get aggressive and agitated. Usually Lava dogs are pretty calm unless either their master is in danger or if someone was using a whistle. Before I knew it Ujasiri had ripped the rod from prince Kidan’s hand and threw it away. The guards were about to interfere and attack, except that even as pups they are unusually strong, even more than the Dire wolves from my homeland. Before the guards could even reach him, she had leapt at him. I instinctively jumped and pushed him out of the way and braced for her to hit. Her weight hit me hard, knocking me flat on my back but I resisted the urge to pass out and clung on to her. Carefully I reached up to the back of her neck and with a single press she was out cold. With a good shove, I had pushed her off of me and stood up. My whole body ached, but years of hard work had made me strong enough to handle incidents like this. I picked up Ujasiri and as I passed by the guard I told them to look for anyone with a whistle. I hadn’t even waited for any words from prince Kidan or anyone else, besides everyone else was rushing to check him over. I placed Ujasiri in her room on top of a bed of hot granite rocks and slid down against the wall and curled up into a ball. Everything was hurting of course but all I could feel like doing was to curl up. It seemed like I had dozed off a bit but when I woke up and went to go get the tools I had seen they were already set by the door. I picked them up and put them in the store room. With my whole body still hurting a bit, I decided to go to the palace bathes which were shared by everyone, even servants. They had cold bathes which I could use to help bring down the pain.  
When I got there only a few people were using them, I didn’t really care so long as I got to take my cold bath. I undressed in the changing rooms and with a towel around my waist I proceeded to the room where the cold bathes were. I slipped in and immediately felt relief over my entire body as my muscles were being healed by the cold water. The bath was huge so I decided to swim around in it. I knew it was not that appropriate but it was all I could feel like doing. I dove under and swam to the bottom and bounced back up from the bottom. I gasped for air and as I stood up I pulled my hair back and walked towards the edge of the bath. It felt nice having the room all to myself. I stayed in the bath and soaked for a while longer before getting out. My body had felt much better and as walked into the next room to go to the dressing rooms I could feel relaxed and cleansed. I changed and went back to the room where I proceeded with my other chores. It seemed that in no time at all it had become evening and the sun was starting to set. Out of nowhere I had heard a knock at my door. When I opened it I saw the Prince with no guards again. Without me even inviting him in, he slipped himself into the room. I closed the door and turned around to face him.“I never got to say thank you for what you did this morning. That was amazing for you to take the blow and be able to restrain Ujasiri and still be able to walk off as if nothing had happened. That was the first time I had seen anyone be able to take that kind of hit and act like it was nothing.”  
I just stared at him and shrugged, “After ten years of taking care of Lava dogs I just was used to things happening and having to take care of it. It was really not a big deal.” Prince Kidan didn’t seem satisfied with that response; he got up and walked over to me. He moved fast, not really giving me time to move away. With a single movement he had tilted my face up towards his, “You seriously have no idea why I chose you as my new slave and trainer for Ujasiri do you.”  
I honestly had no idea why he chose me other than he could since he was the crown prince and all. I shook my head and moved away from him but could only get a few steps away before feeling his arms wrap around my shoulders. I stood there surprised as I felt him move his head next to mine. He whispered, “You should honestly think about why I chose you Esmeraldo.” The feeling of his warm breathe against my ear made my face turn bright red. He slowly let go of me and walked out the door while all I could do was stand red-faced and confused. What was happening to me and why me. I could barely eat my dinner later that evening and after feeding Ujasiri, I went to bed where my mind could not stop thinking about what he had said to me. As if I knew why I was chosen by the prince all I knew was that one minute I’m raising Lava dogs by an abusive and cruel man, to becoming a trainer and toy for the prince. That night was restless and filled with so much confusion. Who was I to Prince Kidan?


	3. Does he like me?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The question that Prince Kidan asked Esmeraldo swings around in his mind causing a domino effect to lead to one nights incident that will set forth an even bigger chain of events later on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me if this isn't so amazing. I was having a little battle with this chapter. College wasn't helping since I have to do an entire process for a short video animation and that is taking up a lot of my time.

I had not been able to sleep for more than an hour. In fact I had hardly gotten any sleep for the next few days. During the training I had to keep a straight face and act like nothing had happened which was insanely hard. Every time our skin touched my heart beat would skip which was even harder to contain. He hadn’t made any unexpected trips to see me, only came for a few minutes to see if Ujasiri was ok. I had to admit even though I liked the peace and quiet, what he had asked me a few days ago still swam around my head. What did he mean?   
The next morning, seven days after he asked the question, I woke up tired after another night of no sleep. Tired with this I decided to run my frustration off. After getting changed I started to run hard. The sun wasn’t even up yet but I didn’t care if it was still a bit dark out I kept running with all my strength. My muscles pumping hard and my lungs feeling strained. As I ran I was so focused on my frustration that I hadn’t seen the root that was sticking out of the ground. My foot had gotten caught causing me to fall hard onto the dirt path. My knees and wrists stung from scrapping along the ground, but that didn’t matter. But as I tried to stand up, I had realized I had twisted my ankle when I tripped. Just great, now I could barely even walk or stand. There was no way in the seven Hells that I was going to crawl back to my quarters. Despite the pain, I gritted my teeth and stood up and limped my way back to my room. When I sat down on my bed my ankle was throbbing badly and swollen red. This was so unlike me to get frustrated over a simple sentence. Why is it that it bothered me so much to not know what he meant.   
Dammit I can’t let this affect me anymore I need to get my head on straight. The sun was coming up, and with the light coming in I grabbed a cloth and filled a bowl with cold water. I soaked the cloth and wrapped it around my painful ankle hoping to bring down the swelling and pain before my training session with the Prince. I could absolutely not let him know what he said was getting to me. I had roughly an hour and a half before breakfast and then I’d have to face him for training. How was I to keep facing him after what he had said, it was if he was saying he adored me or something. That had to be a lie; we had just met and only seen each other a few times since I have been here. There was no way we would’ve had any interaction to cause him to like me. This was beyond frustrating.   
Training today had also gone well. It was hard though due to my ankle still throbbing like crazy. Every step made the pain more and more prevalent to my nerves and muscles. When I went to pick up Ujasiri, the pain became so intense that my own foot gave out right out from under me. Dammit, this pain is so bad and worse right in front of the whole court including Prince Kidan. It wasn’t just the pain as well, the lack of sleep was causing me to have a terrible headache. It was pounding so much I felt like my head was going to explode. My vision was a little fuzzy but I couldn’t just sit here. I forced my body to stand up despite the pain being so terrible. I picked up Ujasiri and struggled to get back to my quarters. I could faintly hear the prince trying to get my attention but I didn’t try to stop for fear if I did I would collapse. I walked into Ujasiri’s room and set her down, but the moment I went to turn around and retrieve the supplies a massive wave of pain flooded my body. I fell over clutching my head tight and curled into a ball as it felt my head was going to explode that very moment. I don’t remember much after that, only faintly hearing the prince calling out my name and trying to get my attention as the sounds of people scurrying about, all most likely due to me collapsing. I could feel someone lift me up and carry me, but my head was in so much pain that I couldn’t even open my eyes but I had a feeling of who it was.   
I had no idea how long I was unconscious for but judging by the fact it was dark out, it must’ve been twelve or so hours. I managed to sit up in bed and look around. I moved my hand to try and go get some water only to feel someone’s hand on the bed. I looked and to my complete astonishment it was the prince himself. What in the in the seven Hell’s would he doing here?! I tried to get out of the bed without making much of a sound only for the pain in my ankle to remind me it was still there. Stumbling, I fell over, knocking the washing dish over and falling on top of me. Soaked, I looked up only to see the prince stirring. Feeling nervous I tried to crawl away only to feel a hand grab my good ankle. My face drained of all color as the hand started to drag me back to the bed knowing thinking something unpleasant was going to happen. The hand moved from my ankle and grabbed my wrist shifting me from my hands and knees to sitting against the frame of the bed. I closed my eyes and refused to look at the prince. I was anxious about what was going to happen to me. To my surprise I felt something warm leaning against my body and on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and the prince had leaned up against me and laid his head on my shoulder.   
“When you collapsed and curled into a ball, I got scared and insisted on giving you the best doctor. Even though I was forced to leave I kept worrying and couldn’t focus on anything. I couldn’t eat or sleep, so I snuck out of my room and came here to keep watch over you.” He slowly placed his hand onto mine holding tight. My face started to turn red at the sudden gesture. What in the seven Hell’s was he saying, I’m just a damn servant and yet he treats me as if I’m someone much more. This is so confusing.   
I tried to move my hand away but he refused, holding it tighter. I slowly looked over to him only to see him staring right at me. His eyes slightly illuminated by the moonlight peeking through the window. As if in a trance I couldn’t even look away from those eyes. Without even realizing what was going on, I could feel him lean in and kiss my cheek. It was soft and gentle, something I had never felt before. His lips against my cheek caused them to inflame even more to the point I felt my whole face was going to burst into flames. I had no sense of how long his lips lingered against my skin, but it felt like an eternity. When he pulled away I could still feel the sensation forever burned into my skin. I was in shock. So much so that I couldn’t even move or even speak. With a quick few movements he had lifted me up and placed me back on the bed. My memory was fuzzy from the shock of what had just happened. All I knew was at some point I had been back in my bed and it was morning. I sat up and tried to analyze what had happened that night. I couldn’t even believe any of that was real and decided to put it away as some weird dream. But if it really did happen; the thought of it made my face burn bright as I pulled the blanket over my head in embarrassment. Whether last night was a dream or not nothing would compare to what was about to happen in the next.


	4. The Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having a startling dream, Esmeraldo starts to have conflicting feelings about the prince as being with him makes him flushed and embarrassed. But a new surprise emerges and allows for Prince Kidan and Esmeraldo to not only spend more time together but for Esmeraldo to understand what these feelings truly are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this being so late but college was driving me up the wall with stress and exhaustion. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it's longer than the first 3 and warning for some smut. Also later on I will be bringing in some new characters. I will be on break between quarters for class but I will still be busy so it will still be a while before the next chapter comes out so as always please be patient. Thank you.

I was forced to rest for another day to my own protest. The doctor told me that the prince had insisted despite what the one with years of medical practice said. The whole day was rather boring. I found out that the prince had someone watching me to make sure I rested the whole day. The guard had even fed and cleaned Ujasiri before I could even try. It was pretty crazy, but apparently the guard said his uncle is my former master. Was pretty scary to hear that. I decided to try and see if I could play any type of game but again nothing. My body was uncomfortable being so lazy to the point I was turning into a fidgety toddler.  
When night time I had become so bored, I had even curled up into a little roll in my blankets. It was my bad timing because this was when I could hear the guard leave and someone else take his place. The door opened and it was the prince. I could feel my embarrassment rising being caught in such a childish position. I tried to roll back out but was immediately stopped by his hand and even made to face him. Without even saying a word he had climbed up as was practically on top of me. My face started to burn a bright scarlet. What in the seven Hells was going on this is too damn awkward. I tried to turn my head and look away but he grabbed by my face and forced me to face him. What in the damn world was going on? I tried to move myself free but I was still stuck rolled in my blankets and couldn’t do much. His face looked somewhat agitated and calm. It made my body slink down as far as it could. I even tried to slide into the blankets but his knees clenched together forcing me to stay the way I was. At this point I had no idea what was going to happen or how to get out of it. His face grew closer to mine. Closing my eyes I braced for anything. I could feel his body lying on top of mine and I could feel his breath get closer to my face till it was right by my right ear. I could feel my face burning like hot embers; I for sure thought he could feel the heat coming off of my skin. He didn’t do anything just lay on top of me with his hips straddling my own and his head right next to my ear. If only I wasn’t trapped in these blankets I would be able to break free. His head suddenly lifted up with his bright blue eyes staring into mine.  
“Esmeraldo, you have no idea how much I want to do this right now.”  
Confused and freaked out I tried to squirm out even more till I finally got my arms out only to have them grabbed and pinned above my head. He was a lot stronger than I had ever anticipated.  
His eyes had a look of lust and his cheeks burning red with desire. “Esmeraldo.”  
“Wait, Wha- Nngh!” Before I knew it he had passionately put his lips to mine. Like a hungry wolf, he started to try and pry my mouth open to let his tongue in. Even though I resisted he still managed to slip his tongue against mine. His appetite was insane, I couldn’t push him away. Soon I could feel my body reacting and getting hot the longer it went. When he pulled his tongue out, I was a deep shade of crimson, my body weak and panting. Without waiting very long he dove down and went for my neck, his desire was more voracious. His tongue and teeth slid along the nap of my neck up to my earlobe and against my Adams apple. I could feel beads of sweat forming as the intensity of the act made my body burn with embarrassment and pleasure. I tried to hold back the moans as much as possible, but every movement he made was so good. I had been so lost in trying to resist the sounds that I hadn’t even realized that he had already unwrapped me from the blankets and opened my shirt up. I had snapped back into reality the moment I would feel his hand sliding down into my pants. The feel of his hand against it felt so good. It felt so good that I had even forgotten to hold back the moans. His hand slid down even further until he had slipped down my pants and was fingering my asshole. I couldn’t stop the moans from coming out, to quiet me down he leaned back in and slid his tongue back into my mouth. The barrage of pleasure was so strong; I had no sense of time, just the now. Without warning he had propped up my hips and I could see his cock, it was big and throbbing. In a matter of seconds he had slid it in. My whole body arched in so much pleasure. I gripped the bed tightly. His thrusts were powerful and amazing. MY body felt so hot and good. It was something I had never felt before and I wanted more. I could feel it coming; I grabbed onto Prince Kidan and dug my nails into his back as we both came.  
As I woke up, the dream fading away. I lifted up my blankets and set them back down. There was nothing to be said as embarrassed as I was and went to go change underwear and clean the ones I had worn that night. As I cleaned my dirtied underwear, my mind drifted to the dream. What in the seven Hells is wrong with me! I’m a slave and he is the crown prince, something like that would be unthinkable. Yes it wasn’t uncommon for royal men to have one or two male concubines but they were usually of noble blood. For me to even dream of something like that would be insane. I didn’t even know how I was going to face the prince. Just the thought of looking at his face made me turn bright red. Why was I even having a dream like that in the first place? It wasn’t as if I liked the prince in that way, but then why. I remembered and old saying my older sister Rubena had told my little sister Sapphira and I when we were little. She said that when you dream of someone then that means that person is thinking of you. So was this dream because Prince Kidan was thinking of me? My cheeks burned even hotter as I curled up into a ball. What in the world is going on and why me?  
I had set everything for the days training session. As I was getting the tools ready, the prince’s advisor came over to me and stated that the prince was going to be a few minutes late. I wasn’t surprised, it wasn’t the first time. Everything seemed to feel calm until I could hear the prince and his small entourage of assistants and guards coming closer. The moment I turned around and saw his face my mind went straight to the dream from that night. I could feel my face turning bright pink. Despite my tan skin I was sure they were showing. I quickly excused myself to go and get a quick drink of water. I splashed some water on my face and hair trying to get the pink pigment to go down. How was I supposed to train the prince on making Ujasiri a hunting and guard lava dog if I couldn’t even look him in the eyes? I could hear footsteps coming from behind me. I thought it was just another servant until I heard the voice.  
“Are you alright?”  
I turned around and was face to face with Prince Kidan! I looked for an escape but couldn’t find one, I was trapped. He got closer to me with a slight concern on his face. I backed up not remembering the trough was right behind me, I tripped and landed ass first into the well. All I could do was sit their stunned as the water from the wall fountain poured over my head. At first the prince was stunned but then burst into a riot of laughter. I became extremely embarrassed. This was not a sight I wished to be seen in. I tried to get out but the walled of the trough under the fountain was slippery making me slip and stumble to get out. My clumsy struggling only made the prince laugh harder to where he was bent over laughing. I just stayed sitting there in defeat. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, my soaked hair covered my face so no one could see. I couldn’t believe I couldn’t even get out of a stupid trough and worse it was in front of the crown prince. If it weren’t for that stupid dream making me so flustered and nervous this would never have happened. While I sat there feeling pitiable a hand was stretched out right in front of me as if to help me out. I followed the hand and it led to the prince. I sat there surprised for a few seconds and with my head down I took his hand. He pulled me out with a single pull. I stumbled and landed against his chest. For a few seconds I could hear his heart beat. I wasn’t sure if I heard it clearly but it sounded as if it was racing. I stood back up and tried to straighten myself up.  
Deflecting, I said, “We should get back to where the training supplies are; we’re already late in starting the lesson.”  
Not saying anything, the prince followed with me. As we arrived at the spot for the training, I noticed that my training supplies had been taken down and put away. Confused I looked around and asked about where my equipment went.  
“We won’t be needing it today. We have decided that for the next few weeks, we want to train in hunting, and what better way than during a few weeks long royal hunt.”  
I was just surprised, without even consulting me they decided that they want to change the training plans and do what they wanted. It was selfish and arrogant. They told me to pack up for the next few weeks and that we’d be leaving early the next morning. Frustrated, I left in a huff and headed back towards my quarters. I started to pack Ujasiri’s heat resistant harness and lead. I stuffed them into her travel bag along with multiple other tools and supplies.  
Not long after I had placed the last item into the bag I heard a knock at the door. I turned around and it was the prince standing at the door. Upset, I turned back around and stood up to go place them by the pen gate.  
“I’m just letting you know that I didn’t have anything to do with changing the training plans. Those vultures did it for me without telling me. I’m sorry that it offended you Esmeraldo.”  
I stood up and faced him, “It’s fine but what worries me is that Ujasiri is still a bit too young for hunting. I’m worried about her not following commands correctly yet. Anyway I just want to be alone for the time being.”  
Seeming to do what I asked, he turned and started to leave when I quickly turned around and said, “Oh and thank you earlier for helping me get out of the trough.”  
Turning his head back around, “It was no problem, besides seeing you like that, you looked really cute being soaked in water.” I could feel my cheeks burn a little with that statement. Before anything else could be said he had left. I was left standing there with Ujasiri watching me.  
The rest of the day was spent taking care of Ujasiri and cleaning up. Even though the space was small I still found it necessary to keep it clean and place different poultices around the windows and doors to keep bugs and rodents away.I decided to go and get a bath before the trip tomorrow luckily it was late and not many people were around. I got undressed and headed to the hot bath. I slipped in, melting into the pleasant hot waters fused with scented oils. I swam around a bit till I reached the other end of the pool and then back. I had just finished the lap when I heard the door open and see the prince walk in! Nervous I sank back into the water and swam away as quickly as I could. My body was feeling too hot, I had been inside for a while and it was starting to get to me, I needed to get to the cold bath in the adjacent room. I had been so panicked I forgot to take a full gulp of air. I couldn’t hold it for much longer; I swam up to the top and tried to exhale as quietly as I could. I turned around and saw no one had noticed me. I moved closer to the edge and tried to climb out as quickly and quietly as I could. I only managed to make it a few feet from the door before I heard someone call out to me. I looked and saw the prince walking towards me. I tried to turn and go into the next room but he had run over and grabbed my wrist. I was trapped.  
“Is everything ok, your face is bright red. Is the heat getting to you?”  
I quietly answered yes, but it didn’t seem as though he was done. It seemed like something was really bothering him. “Is that all your highness?” I didn’t even look up at him, I could only look to the side, besides looking down I could see everything and after the dream from the night before I would rather not look.  
“No. I’m wondering if you remembered why I chose you to be my trainer. It’s been almost a month since I bought you from that rough place and from that ass of a man,” He stepped closer to me. Remember? Remember what!? His face got closer to mine and I tried to move away but he had blocked me from being able to get away. I didn’t know what to do, his eyes were showing desire, his body was starting to touch mine, and my senses were going crazy. In a matter of seconds I could feel his lips touching mine, they were warm and soft. My eyes drew wide and stared at his crystal blue eyes which were staring intensely into mine. I was frozen in shock; I wasn’t able to resist him. I could feel his lips pry mine open as he held my cheek and slipped his tongue into my mouth. The sensation felt good and made me feel a sensation over my body that I did not recognize. His tongue played with mine; my legs were feeling weak and shaky. I wouldn’t be able to stand much longer. I had to get away. I quickly shoved him away causing him to fall on his butt. He looked up at me in surprise at my reaction. I held my hand up to my face trying to hide my embarrassed expression. I ran away as quick as I could and got changed even though I was still soaked. I didn’t care; I just had to get away before he could catch up to me. I made it back to my quarters and quickly slipped into my room, slamming the door shut. Panting and tired, I slumped down onto my bed and curled up into a ball. I’m so confused and shocked, to think that the prince would do that. Now I’ll be with him for the next few weeks, what am I going to do? I hoped for day to never come.


	5. Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a notice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A notice for the next chapter.

Hey guys. I'm so sorry that chapter 5 has been so damn late. There has been so much going on in my life involving my Depression and Anxiety along with school being a pain in my ass. I'm currently on a semester break from school till January but right now I'm also looking for a job and trying to get my license. Yeah I know I should have it already at 21 years, I just kept putting it off and now I can't any longer. I've been having bad mood swings for the last couple of months, no not pregnant or anything, just typical depression, but it's now being managed along with progress with my weight loss.  
I'm working on chapter 5 right now even while I type this I'm working on it so give me like 1 to 2 full weeks. Not sure when I will finish I have the written test tomorrow and then have a month or so to practice driving so I will be busy. Thanks for not giving me crap like some of my friends get. Also if you don't have Webtoons, go on and download the app and check out my friend Zee The Red Dinosaur's comic Three Wishes, she's awesome along with Lookism, it is truly amazing and funny. There are other awesome series like Lumine, Unordinary, and Faust.  
I know in this series my history lingo is off, yeah I know already, it just is for more depth and culture in this, not like anyone knows much on ancient culture that old since the texts for even Hammurabi's code is like almost 4,000 years old and none of us truly know how old the Atlantean culture even was since sightings and trips from merchants are old and started as oral stories. Anyway, chapter five will be added ASAP so just be patient, cause the next few chapters will be pretty hot and new characters will be added along with some villains and court drama.


	6. A precursor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Esmeraldo wakes up the following morning after the sudden kiss given to him by the prince. He tries to put it to the back of his mind and sets out with the Prince, other nobles and their guards and servants. When he gets there he goes to relax only to be pushed into the river and be violently assaulted by a group of Persian guards. He breaks free and is seen by the prince who goes to comfort him. Their bond is seen to get stronger and so do Esmeraldo's feelings become more strong for him. Will his life ever get better and will he ever remember what happened to him as a child that the prince keeps hinting at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so don't hate me for writing a scene of sexual assault on my little cinnamon roll, I needed to progress the story and this seemed like a great reason for Kidan and Esmeraldo to bond even more. I said I'd be adding some villains to this and these guys are only a precursor for what is to come.  
> Also I'm sorry this is late, some shit came up and I had to keep putting it off.  
> I hate to have my little sweetie pie be assaulted, however it keeps the story flowing and it will later reveal some secrets about my two turtle doves. Please keep reading, I will try to update the next chapter ASAP I promise.   
> Also If you or anyone you know has or was assaulted by anyone please call 911 or any of your emergency contact numbers in your country and file a report. The sooner those bastards are off the street the better.

Daylight came too soon for my liking. It was as if the sun and birds were mocking me. I ate my breakfast with no enthusiasm and was slow to put on my clean clothes. The travel to the royal hunting grounds would take about half a day, so I packed extra bread and smoked meat. I had already packed the day before leaving me some time to go to the small river in the forest to rest some more before the journey. I sat down along the bank of the river, letting my feet become cold and feel the sand at the bottom of the river engulf my toes as I pushed them in deeper. There wasn’t much I remembered about my childhood, some happy days, some not so happy. One thing I remembered was a song my grandmother used to sing to me while making bread. It was a type of Flamenco she made up as a child and I loved it. Since my grandmother baked bread so much she sung it quite often making the song ingrained in my memory after so long. Letting my feet soak in the cold of the river, I opened my mouth and without warning, sang the song I loved so much. I don’t know why but being near the water made me so calm that I could let my guard down little by little. It almost reminded me of the river my sisters and I used to play in by the town we lived in. I felt my cheeks turn pink and warm with a smile creep along my face at the memory of my sisters. How I missed them so. Sadly the life of a Gitano was always hard and it wasn’t unheard of for some families to sell children for money or to have fewer mouths to feed. Sadly despite my family’s status in our society, I was sold, not even knowing if my sisters were as well or where they were.  
I sat there for what seemed like hours till I heard the bell ring nine times and knew it was time to get back and get Ujasiri ready for the trip. I stood up and turned around to go back, get Ujasiri and the supplies and go to the entrance of the castle to leave. It didn’t take long to get to the castle entrance; the only annoyance was that when people stared at me. I may not have been a native Atlantean speaker but ten years of being there educated me on their language. Some whispered about my hair, how my build was broad but slightly smaller, and also the basic insults on being a lower class and what would have translated in Spanish to “Eres tan patético, que resultas entrañable” and “Hijo de la Gran Puta.” It was quite crude but I had heard worse in my life, these stupid insults were nothing to me. By the time I got to the entrance everyone was just finishing the packing of the multitudes of tents, cooking supplies, clothes for the nobles and royalty along with small bags from the guards for changes of underclothes. I set my supplies for Ujasiri and myself into one of the wagons. It was going to be quite the trip, but half a day was nothing to me compared to when I was sold into slavery. The walks would be long and arduous with not much for a break. At least for this trip it would only be for roughly seven hours and in this case I have food. I tied Ujasiri’s leather tether to her heat-resistant harness. With a pup like her, you never knew when she’d see something and want to run off.  
Everyone was chatting so much the area was quite loud, but in an instant it became quiet. I turned and it was the nobles and following not far behind was Prince Kidan, in this case he wore more elegant clothing. Usually he wore not much for a top half the time but in this case he wore a gold and blue tunic with sharp edges by the shoulders draping his cape from behind him, a pair of blue and gold encrusted slippers, and his sarong was replaced with a pair of very loose pats which flowed more comfortably. As far as I knew, Atlanteans didn’t mind wearing more conservative clothing’s, but they were all loose and flowing since they still enjoyed the freedom for their legs to not be constrained like in the case of the Gitano, my people, who had to in order to survive cold and harsh weather in the mountains. The guards and servants lined up while bowing to their masters and the Prince. I stood against the wagon and bowed, well apparently Ujasiri didn’t get the memo cause as soon as she saw the prince she broke away and ran up to him and jumped up on his legs. Blushed with embarrassment I went after her and grabbed her tether, but the damage was done. Everyone starred at me with shock and disgust, even the servants and guards. I kept my eyes down as I picked her up to carry her back but I felt a slight tug on my shirt and prince Kidan’s breathe in my ear. My skin got hot and my cheeks turned red.  
“Even if they are my guests, stay vigilant, they are not above using dirty tricks. If you see something suspicious or they do something to you, come straight to me.”  
The warmth of his breath on my ears tickled, despite the distraction I nodded. He moved forward and sat up on his horse Aton. He looked so powerful and beautiful sitting up so high. Wait, what was I thinking. Ugh.  
Shoving the thoughts out of my mind I set Ujasiri down and started to walk with the procession to the royal hunting grounds. Even though we were only half way to the grounds it felt like it had been days. It wasn’t so much being tired but the constant chatter around me made it difficult to relax. Some of the nobles were visitors from other kingdoms. Some languages I recognized but I knew none of what they were saying. I could feel paranoia, what the prince said was probably true which made me feel more paranoid as to what they were saying or plotting.  
It was mid-evening by the time we had arrived at the site and immediately servants began setting up the tents. Of course they set up the largest ones for the Prince and the nobles, the medium ones were for the guards and I as I needed space to have my supplies and a small area for Ujasiri inside. I could feel cold stares from the other servants as in their eyes, because of my race, I was lower than them on the hierarchical pyramid. To them I was someone who got lucky in life and was favored for my exotic appearance. To them I was at the same level as a Puta. Even though I brushed it off it still didn’t get rid of the feeling of loneliness as no one really would talk to me. The only one who ever seemed to want to be around me was the Prince, but why. What happened in the past to make him act like this towards me, why was I so special to him?  
It didn’t take me very long to get things set up for the next few weeks of hunting. I decided to get a lay of the area and walk around. A small part of me hoped to get a small glance of prince Kidan. I shook my head and discarded that absurd thought. I located the river where everyone gathered water, played, and washed clothes. I didn’t see anyone around and decided to sit down and let my feet rest in the cold water. My heals felt sore from all the walking and the cold running around them took that all away. I could hear the people in the camp not far behind. I drowned out their voices with the sounds of the water, trees, and of the numerous birds residing in the trees. My favorite were the Turtle Doves and Magpies, their voices were somewhat soothing.  
My mind was clear and I became so relaxed, focused only on the sounds of the wilderness, that I hadn’t even heard the men who had come walking in my direction. At first I just ignored them until one of them had pressed the bottom of his boot against my back. I had snapped back into reality.  
“So you’re the gypsy boy that the prince favors so much. I don’t get what in the seven Hell’s is so special about you. You’re nothing more than some piece of Gypsy trash that was rejected even by his own kind and sold into slavery. Just another child of a whore.” His words were harsh, but I didn’t care and ignored him and his words. This though seemed to only piss him off. The next thing I knew he kicked me into the river and was standing above me. His eyes showed arrogance and hatred towards me. I tried to stand up but was shoved back down; he knelt and grabbed my face fiercely to force me to look at him. I started to feel anxious at what he might do, this was a man who seemingly had a grudge against me and who I was.  
“I bet the only reason the prince acknowledges you is because you’re a whore. I bet you let him fuck you every day, just spread your legs for him and suck him off whenever he calls. You’re just another piece of trash slut sleeping his way to your position and favoritism.”  
Normally something like this would go in one ear and out the ear, but something about the prince being mentioned in such a way started to piss me off. I tried to shove him off of me but he held me down and yelled for his buddies to keep me held down. He started to slide my shirt up, exposing my whole torso. “I wanna see what’s so special about you gypsy trash.” I started to panic and strained to pull my arms and legs free from these bastards. His hands began to wander as he slid his hands along my body, playing with it and all with a shit eating grin on his face. It felt disgusting, nothing like when the prince would touch or hug me. I started to scream for help and fought even harder to break free. “Hey Ardalan, you need to shut him up or else we’ll be caught,” Said one of the bastards buddies. “You little Gypsy freak, If you don’t shut up then I’ll cut out your tongue.” This did not stop me from fighting them and yelling. In an instant the bastard grabbed my face and said, “I’ll shut you up the way only a whore can be.” With those words said he pulled me forward and smashed his lips against mine, forcing his tongue into my mouth. I couldn’t scream, I tried but it was hard just to breath. Tears began to well up and I struggled to try and break free. His kiss felt disgusting unlike the princes the night before. The prince was gentle and loving but this man’s kiss made me feel sick. While holding my face with one hand he started to slide his hand down my body until it was just above my penis. Fear flooding over me and I fought harder, so much so that his buddies couldn’t hold me down anymore. My arms broke free and I shoved and kicked the guy off of me and ran. I ran back to the camp feeling like I was gonna throw up the whole time. As I ran to my tent I had looked over to my left only to see the Prince looking straight at me, our eyes met. I knew he could see that I was in pain and that something horrible had just happened to me. I covered my face and just kept going till I was safely in my tent. I took a nearby bucket and proceeded to vomit the contents of my stomach into it. I had never felt so gross in my whole life. I curled up into a ball and started to cry.  
I heard a voice at the entrance to the tent but I could hardly hear who it was. I told them to come in and was surprised to see it was Prince Kidan. I didn’t know how he had managed to break away from his entourage and guards but he was standing there looking at me with concern. I wiped my eyes and tried to straighten up. He walked towards me and knelt down in front of me, and without warning I jumped into his arms and started to cry again. I couldn’t contain it; he just sat where he was and held me tightly against him, stroking my head and back. I don’t know when but at some point I fell asleep in his arms. Being with him was calming and his pets were gentle and protective. Being in his arms felt like I was wrapped in a warm blanket, safe and comforting. Before I had fallen asleep I could swear I had even felt him kiss my head.  
The next thing I knew I was awake, tucked into my mattress. My head hurt a bit and reached over to take a sip of water from my water pouch. The cold water felt good against my raw and sore throat. I could only guess what time it was. I stepped outside and saw it was just past sunset. I walked to where the food was being served and hoped for soup, something warm to soothe my throat. As I had gotten close I could see my assaulters tied to posts yelling that it wasn’t true and that they did nothing wrong. Then they looked over and saw me and had a look of pure rage. But the moment they were about to say anything they were hit with a whip. The one holding it was the prince himself. The look on his face was so angry that it scared me. There was a rather tall Persian man standing next to him with a look of rage and disappointment on his face. I could only assume he was their master since they seemed to fear him as well. They both yelled out the charges against the men in which they vehemently denied but the truth was known. Prince Kidan told them how he and the other nobles had seen me running soaking wet, upset, and terrified from the river and had seen them remaining there. It was obvious to the nobles as to what had happened. They tried to beg for forgiveness but were met with the sound of a whip again, this time wielded by their master. He told them that they were a disgrace to him and their nation and that for the remainder of the time there they were to be kept in the mobile prison made from Iron and when they returned to their home country they would be placed in a permanent prison to rot for the shame they brought to him. The men were then taken and placed in the Iron cell. With thin blankets to keep warm and small bowls to make sure they didn’t starve before going home. I turned to look towards the prince, he looked right at me and his eyes softened. I could feel my cheeks getting red at this look of kindness. He soon took his leave and walked back to his tent to what I figured, to eat his dinner. I too went to where the food was and was served a heaping bowl of boar meat stew. The meat was tender and the warmth of it helped me to relax. I sat a bit of a distance from the others and looked up at the stars. The moon was a lovely waning crescent and the stars were bright, illuminating the night sky. I saw a star shoot across the sky and as soon as I saw it, I wished. I wished for things to only get better from now on. Boy was I wrong.


End file.
